Electromagnetic ironing-board.



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E. ST. G. CLAYTON.

ELECTROMAGNETIC IRONING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1907.

949,351. Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD ST. CLAIR CLAYTON, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO H. M. GOSH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTROMAGNETIC IRONING-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Tatented Feb. 15, 1910..

Application filed August a, 1907. Serial No. 387,677.

.To, all whom it may concern:

kindred devices, and particularly to means of iron, steel, or'other suitab for producing a magnetic field beneath or about the ironing board surface to act upon the smoothing iron, goose, etc., to cause a pull or attractive force to be exerted upon the smoothing iron or goose resulting in a greater pressure upon the cloth or other material under treatment.

It is the object of my invention to derive sufficient pressure upon the work even when a smallor light weight iron is employed, and to enable heavy and light ironing to be done with one and the same iron.

It is a further object to permit the operator to use a light iron to relieve him from the necessit of lifting a heavy iron, thus permitting im to perform his work more easily or to perform more work with the same effort.

It is the further object of my invention to vary the degrees of pressure to be exerted by the iron upon the work, and to cause these variations instantaneously at the will of the operator and without increased physical eifort on his part.

My invention resides also in other features hereinafter described and claimed.

For an illustration of one of the forms my invention may take reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a dperspective view of a ma net system adapte to be disposed beneatli a board or smoothing surface. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the magnet system and board or smoothing surface, the pole ieces and the smoothing iron being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticview illustrating the circuit connections of the apparatus. Fig; dis a perspective view illustrating a foot control switch.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 1, 1 are masses le magnetizable' material forming the cores of the electroma net 2. The cores 1,1 are secured toget er by bolts 3. The magnetizin coil or windinge: is wound upon a suitab e frame 5 and surrounds the cores 1 1. Interleaved pole pieces 6, 6 are formed integral with or secured to themagnetic masses 2, 2. These poles 6 interleave when the parts are assemled forming a series of a jacent poles of opposite polarity and magnets of high densit The cores 1, 1 and masses 2, 2 are made re atively large, while the pole pieces 6, 6 are made relatively small, thus causing magnetization at high density in the pole pieces 6 and working them nearly to saturation. The air gap between adjacent poles 6, 6 is so designed and proportioned, that the magnetic lines of force issuing from the poles 6, 6 radiate and extend upwardly through the board or member 7 and through the mat or cloth covering 8, through'the 1ron, steel, or other magnetizable material of the sad iron or smoothing iron 9. ,The board 7 and the mat 8 are of non-magnetic material, the former may be of wood fiber, or some nonmagnetic metal, while the mat 8 is customarily of cloth or other suitable material. These lines of force extending into and through the smoothing, iron 9 attract said iron 9 forcibly on to the mat 8, thus increasing the pressure upon the cloth or other material being pressed or ironed. This attractive force enables one to secure suflicient pressure on the work even with a light weight iron.

The poles 6, 6 and the intervening air gap are preferabl designed that the iron 9 will always exten over more than one pole. The poles 6 are preferably made quite numerous and practically evenly distributed beneath the smoothing surface of the board, so that the magnetic attraction will not noticeably var at different points on the surface.

he construction of pole pieces and magnot shown a'fiords the shortest path for the magnetic lines, thus minimizing magnetic leakage.

The cores 1, 1, masses 2, 2 and poles 6, .6 may be. made of cast metal molded of soft steel or gray 1ron and joined together by the bolts as described. It is to be understood, however, that laminated iron construction may be employed, particularly ,where alternating current is employed in the magnet-- izing-coil4. But even when, the alternating current is one loyed the solid construction of Figs. 1 an 2 may be employed, the resulting heat being rather an advanta e than a disadvantage in heating the boar 7 and met 8.

across which is connected the heating coil of the iron -9. Obviously, however, the iron 9 need not be electrically heated. The coil 4 is connected in series between the conductors 10 and 11 through the resistance coils 12and 13 connected to the contacts 14,-15',

' 16. By cutting in or out these coils, or more of them if desired, the number of ampere turns produced by the winding 4 may be varied at the will of the operator and thus vary the pressures exerted by the iron 9 upon the work. For this purpose, av foot switch may be employed, one form of which is seen in Fig. 4. 17 is a foot treadle at the end of the lever 18, pivoted at 19 and capable of slight lateral motion on said pivot 19. A spring 20 serves to keep the lever 18 raised against the stop 21. Teeth or notches 22 are formed on an extension from the lever '18 and are adapted to engage the stud 23. A slight outward movement serves to free i the teeth from the stud 23 and the lever 18 may be moved upwardly or downwardly. These teeth serve to hold the lever 18 in different positions. Carried by, but insulated from the lever 18, are the two flexible or resilient contacts 24 and 25 electrically connected together. 25 serves to make contact with the long or continuous contact 26 while the contact 24 serves to engage the separated contacts 14, 15, 16 between which are connected the coils 12 and 13 as shown in Fig. 3. In the position shown in Fig. 4, the circuit is open. To give the first degree of pressur,the operator presses the treadle l7 and notches the first tooth under the stud- 23, in which case the contact 16 is placed into communication with the continuous force.

By the apparatus heretofore described, it is obvious that with a li ht iron considerable pressure may be exerte under treatment and that the amount of pressure may be varied at the will of the upon the material operator and practically instantaneously; and that less physical effortwill be required on the part of the operator to attain the result that has been accomplished heretoforeby heavier irons acted upon only by gravity.

What I claim is:

'1. An ironing. board magnet comprising a core or cores, and a plurality of interleaving poles, the pole faces being located in substantially the same plane.

2. In combination, anironing board, an iron adapted to cooperate therewith, a plurality of interleaving magnetic poles associated with said board and projecting a field into the region of the smoothing surface of said board, said poles being of such size and so disposed that said iron always covers more than one pole.

3. In combination, an ironing board, an electro-magnet having interleaving poles associated therewith and extending its field into the region of the smoothing, surface of said board, and an iron electrically heated by current derived from said circuit and adapted to be employed in said field.

4. In combination, an ironing board, an

associated electro-magnet having a plurality of interleaving poles associated with thefield, extends into the region of the smoothing surface of said board.

6. In combination, an ironing board, and

a magnet disposed beneath said board and having its poles covered by said board, said magnet having interleaving poles whose field extends into the region of the smoothing surface. of said board, said board being I of non-magnetic material.

7. In combination,; an ironing board, a magnet disposed beneath said board and having its poles covered by said board, said magnet having interleaving poles whose field extends into the region ofthe smoothing surface of said board, said board being of non-magnetic material, and a non-mag-' netic mat upon said board.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

. E. ST. CLAIR CLAYTON. Witnesses:

M. A. DOHONY, JOHN C. ROTH. 

